Networking architectures have grown increasingly complex in communication environments. As the subscriber base of end users increases, proper routing and efficient management of communication sessions and data flows becomes critical. Internet Protocol (IP) communications generally provide different types of communication methods across a network (e.g., unicast and multicast). Unicast is a method of point-to-point communication, and it is typically used when two nodes need to exchange data, where neither node is concerned with sharing the data with multiple hosts. Multicast communications can allow a group of hosts to receive messages without broadcasting those messages to all of the hosts in the broadcast domain. The ability to minimize packet loss or disruptions in the network presents a significant challenge to component manufacturers, network operators, and service providers alike.